I have always loved animals. The walls of my childhood bedroom were lined with inspirational cat posters. At the age of twelve, I told my parents that I was a vegetarian because I liked cute, fuzzy animals more than I liked eating them. Growing up around dogs and cats (and the odd rabbit), pets were an integral part of our family.

In college, I got my cat-fix volunteering at a local animal shelter. My official title was "cat-cuddler", which to this day is my favorite job title on my resume. After I graduated, I adopted my cat, Squish. She's a ball of pure rage living within the body of a 7 pound gray cat. She dislikes strangers and other animals and will not-so-subtly let me know when she wants attention by knocking things off the kitchen table. She'll also cuddle up with me before bed, fitting herself perfectly in the position of “little spoon”. I wouldn't trade her for any other cat in the world.

Having Squish in my life has made it fuller, brighter, and happier. I wanted to give that joy to other people, which is how I started volunteering as a cat adoption coordinator with Lucky Dog Animal Rescue. Over the last year and a half, I've helped over 130 cats find their forever homes! It has involved a lot of emails, phone calls, and conversations with potential adopters about responsible pet ownership. Much to Squish's chagrin, I started fostering cats, too!

Along this volunteer journey, I found an amazing community and support network of other adoption coordinators and fosters. I'm constantly in awe of the selfless, strong, and compassionate people I volunteer with. While I came into animal rescue to help cats, I stayed because of the incredible people. To volunteer and save lives with us, please sign up HERE.